Full fashioned stocking knitting machine



June 14, 1955 w. c. wlTMl-:R 2,710,526

FULL FASHION@ sTocxING KNIT'TING MACHINE Filed Jan. 21, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

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za may June 14, 1955 w. c. wn-MER FULL FASHIONED STOCKING KNITTING MACHINE File'd Jan. 2l, 1952 United StatesPatentO FULL FAsHIoNEn sTocKING KNITTING MACHINE Walter C. Witmer, Lansdale, Pa., assignor to Walter M. Golaszewski, Philadelphia, Pa.

The more modern machines used for knitting ladies full fashioned stockings are capable of knitting stockings having what is known as the loopless toe. This is done by continuing the narrowing operation until the forward end of the foot tapers to a point. This forward, tapered portion is then turned down and seamed to the adjacent portion of the foot of the stocking. A more complete description of the loopless toe construction may be had by referring to prior patents such, for example, as the Kauffman Patent No. 2,304,053 of December 1, 1942.

The older machines are incapable of producing loopless toe stockings without alterations which are so extensive in character, and which interfere with the normal operation of the machine and its versatility that the conversion or adaptation of the machines for the production of loopless toe stockings becomes of doubtful value.

It is therefore one object of my invention to provide means for adapting such old machines to the production of loopless toe stockings in an easy, inexpensive manner, without materially altering the structure of the machine, and without interfering with its normal operation.

A more specific object is to so adapt knitting machines of the type described in the prior patents to Howie No. 1,982,991 of December 4, 1934; No. 1,986,577 of Jannary l, 1935, and No. 2,076,127 of April 6, 1937.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification and the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary top plan View showing only such parts of the conventional machines as are necessary for a proper understanding of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view showing the manner in which the conventional machine is altered to carry out my invention.

Fig. 3 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, looking in the direction of line 3--3 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, looking in the direction of line 4-4 on Fig. l.

A Wildman machine of the type exemplified in the Howie patent above mention includes: (A) a drive screw which drives flexible band yarn carriers 12; (B) brackets 14 and 14a to which yarn carrier stops 16 are pivoted as at 18; (C) a feed screw 20 which carries and actuates brackets 14 and 14a toward, and away from, the center of the machine to correlate the movement of the yarn carriers with the movement of the narrowing mechanism; (D) dogs 22 carried by the bands 12 and adapted to coact with stops 16; (E) a square shaft 24 which carries lifting cams 26 and 26a which are adapted to actuate lifting levers 28, hereinafter referred to, to raise stops 16 so that the yarn carriers can return to their neutral positions; (F) a gear 30 fixed on square shaft 24 and operated by pawl 32 to turn square shaft 24 and actuate lifting cams 26 and 26a; (G) a bracket 34 mounted on the frame below feed screw and having a vertical arm 36 which carries a casting 38 for supporting racks 40 and 41; (H) shafts 42 carrying pinions 44 and 44a which ICC engage pointex racks 40 and 41, and (I) pinions' 46 which are carried by shafts 42 and engage a vertical rack 48 for actuating racks 40 and 41. These are the main parts of a typical Wildman machine which are necessary for a proper understanding of the present invention.

In a machine of the type referred to, the following conditions exist: (1) The lifting cams 26 and 26a are connected to the carrier brackets 14 and 14a, and acted directly on lifting levers 28. Also/ cams 26 and 26a moved longitudinally of square shaft 24 asthe brackets 14 and 14a moved longitudinally of screw shaft 20. (2) The right hand cam 26a was always tothe right of gear 30 on square shaft 24, as viewed in Fig. 1. Therefore, lifting cams 26 and 26u could be moved toward the center of square shaft 24 only until cam 26a abuttcd gear 30. (3) The center portion of screw shaft 20 was not threaded. See for example shaft 43 in Fig. 1 of Howie Patent 2,076,127 of April 6, 1937. Therefore, regardless of the position of cam 26a on shaft 24, and even if gear 30 were not in the way, the yarn carrier stop brackets 14 and 14a could not be moved to the center of screw shaft 20. (4) The vertical arm 36 of bracket 34 was short and the casting 38 was very closely spaced from the top of feed screw 20. Therefore brackets 14 and 14a could not be moved to thc center of screw shaft even if all of the previously mentioned obstructions did not exist.

In order to overcome these diculties I have made the following changes: 1) The lifting cams 26 and 26a have been disconnected from carrier stop brackets 14 and 14a and have been placed, in a xed position at the center of square shaft 24. (2) In order to make it unnecessary for the lifting cams to move on shaft 24 with the movement of brackets 14 and 14a on shaft 20, I have provided arms 56 which are so long and are so arranged as to engage lifting levers 28 constantly regardless of the movement of brackets 14 and 14a longitudinally of feed screw 20. (3) The links 58 are pivoted at 59 to a lateral arm 60 of bracket 34 so that the action of lifting cams is transmitted, through arms 56 to lifting levers 23 to operate stops 16. (4) The center portion of feed screw 20 has been threaded to permit movement of brackets 14 and 14a to the center of this shaft. (5) Vertical arm 36 of bracket 34 has been lengthened to raise casting 38 enough to permit carrier stop brackets 14 and 14a to pass under said casting 38.

Because the center portion of feed screw 20 is threaded; because lifting cams 26 and 26a are xed at the center of square shaft 24, and because casting 38 is elevated above feed screw 20, the yarn carrier stop brackets can move much more closely to the center of the feed screw than was possible in the conventional machine described. In vfact they can move toward the center of the feed screw until the juxtaposed edges 50 of the stop brackets almost abut each other. This makes it possible to lay yarn across the center of the needle bed and so the knitting of the foot of the stocking can be continued until the fabric has been narrowed to a point, or almost so. That being the case, the machine can be used for producing loopless toe stockings.

It will be noted that nothing has been added to the machine except the arms S6 which, in effect, are extensions of arms 58 of the conventional machine, and that the only alteration of the struction of the machine consists in lengthening arm 36 of bracket 34 to raise casting 38. The other changes consist in changing the position of the lifting cams 26 and 26a and in threading of the center portion of the feed screw 20. These changes adapt the machine for the production of loopless toe stockings without in any way affecting the normal operation of the machine. Also, the changes described can be effected itat-.relatively'little eostandifvith minimum dismantling of `parts.

What I claim is: In a full fashioned stocking knitting machine, a feed 1 f screw; :exibleibandzlyarn carriersf; a-:pairlo :yarn afar-fier ,:stop.;br1'ckets'4 carried #by and movablel longitudinallyy of :zsaidrfeed screw,1yarn-carrier stops'carried byl-said-brack 'ets,v liftingilevers carried :by' said ubrackets for/operating said stops; arpair ofpointexracks; alcasting supporting ,saidrracks above nsaid iyarn carriers andsidf feed screw, f.. a shaftparallel .to'saidfeed screw; apair'of liftingcams f lxedat the Ycenterofsaid: shaf means for turningfsa'id 1 shaft. to -rotatesaid 'lifting camspand a pair fof arms/'opf'ferativelytconnectedto saidcams for actuating saidlift- -rntirealengthwsaidastingbeing suciently spaced fronti said carriers and said feed vserew to permit passage of said brackets therebetween, a'nd said arms being of such length and being so shaped as to constantly engage and actuate said lifting levers to actuate the same upon rotation of the lifting camsvzr'egardless of the position of said brackets on said feed screw.

f'I-Io'wie "July 8, 1941 Desmonds .Iu1y`f29, 1941 

